Justice Guns SEP09

8/14/2019 Justice Guns SEP09

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Jack Turner

CONF 502

Professor AlpherSeptember 21, 2009

Guns in the hands of decent, law abiding citizens is a good thing. In my

opinion, you cant have too many kindsof those guns. Virginia CitizensDefense League Member Phillip Van

Cleave ((Kunkle, Craig, 2007).

Every man must decide whether hewill walk in the light of creative altruism

or in the darkness of destructiveselfishness. Martin Luther King, jr.

(1963).

Justice and Gun Control: You Cant Have It Both Ways, But We Do

On June 10, 2009 James Von Brunn walks into the Holocaust Museum in

Washington DC and fatally wounds an African-American guard with a .22 caliber rifle.

He subsequently is wounded by other museum guards and currently sits in jail waiting for

a mental competency exam (Wilber, 2009). Three months later, Delonte West, a local

Washington DC area resident and guard for the Cleveland Cavaliers, is stopped for a

traffic violation and arrested for carrying two concealed, loaded handguns ( a Berretta

9mm and a .357 Magnum) (Zapotosky, 2009). While Von Brunns behavior is described

by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicole Waid as a suicide mission, Wests father says that

his son has been looking behind his back and protecting himself from certain

individuals (Wilber, 2009). Both mens actions are tied together by perceptions of justice

and our nations gun control laws. Interesting opening

This essay argues that beliefs about justice and gun ownership is a deeply

personal issue in this country, and that individual perceptions of what is just and unjust

about gun control is based mostly on personal experience. As reported by the Journal of

the American Medical Association in 1996, the problem is that one political side thinks

more controls on gun sales is needed to reduce crime and violence, while the other


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political side believes less restriction is needed (Blendon, Young, & Hemenway). This

essay focuses on individual beliefs and values pertaining to justice and guns in the United

States because the authors research has found no other more consistent factor regarding

gun control in our population.

Extensive research by journalist David Krajicek shows almost equally divided

opinions and beliefs about the influence of guns and gun control on crime, homicide, and

suicide. Some studies suggest that people who watch crime shows regularly tend to

advocate less control of gun buying and ownership because they think guns are necessary

for self-protection against criminal violations and assault. Other studies indicate a

preference for more gun control by people who read the daily news instead of watching it

on television (2003).

In the academic world, from sociologists and criminologists to political science

and public health researchers, opinions about gun control and its affects are also divided

This trend may indicate that personal experience with guns and gun violence, including

media exposure, is the primary foundation for beliefs about gun control.. It appears that

even scholars are not immune to emotional reactions when it applies to figuring out the

fairness of gun laws and interpreting second amendment rights (Krajicek, 2003). Good

points heregood place to tie it into basic human needs, even us dry scholars arent

immune to feelings of security lost

Cultural perspective is also a factor to consider. Geert Hofstede has described

American culture as individualistic, as compared to other cultures, such as the Japanese,

who are collective in nature for future papers (since this was before the culture and

identity readings), be cautious here when characterizing an entire people by a dynamic


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like this while theres real power in it, theres also an opening for counter-argument

attack. From Hofstedes viewpoint, Americans dichotomous relationship to guns may

result from our belief in, and valuing of, individual freedom and identity more than the

collective values of group identity and cohesion (1980). As a people, we are concerned

and respectful of individual choice: We may have a tolerance for a certain amount of

extremely destructive personal choices because of this preference. Theres a point to

bring in critical theory of Burton that definitions of security as a need may not be

what we immediately assume them to be. Security of an individualist self-conception

tends to trump physical security here

On April 16, 2007, Cho Seung-Hui, a Virginia Tech student, chained the doors to

a classroom building and systematically began taking the lives of faculty members and

Virginia Tech students. He killed 32 people and himself (Hauser, C (2007). His actions

brought great grief and distress to 32 families of slain victims and great shame and

confusion to his own family. According to the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act'

of 1993, Seung-Huis psychiatric diagnosis in 2005 should have prevented his ability to

purchase any firearms (Library of Congress, 1993).

In a strange twist, a Virginia Tech student group that advocates the right to carry a

concealed weapon on campus invited Eric Thompson, the gun dealer who sold one gun to

Seung-Hui, to speak on campus. Thompson also sold two guns toSteven Kazmierczak,who killed five people at Northern Illinois University on February 14, 2008. The event

was kept quiet out of respect for the Virginia Tech victims, but the message from the gun

dealer was clear: Even though all people should not be allowed to own guns, prohibiting

peoples desire to protect themselves is wrong (Smith, L, 2008). Good pointsright


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now, hanging out there on their own make sure you provide a bridge between the

previous section and this to show how and why youre headed here

VA Tech students organized a lie-in protest for stricter gun control laws, on

April 16, 2008. An equal number of the people killed, 32, laid down on the campus in

commemoration for the dead. The lie also supported changing the gun show loophole

law that allows gun sales at gun shows without the Brady Bill criminal background check

(Esposito, 2008).

People talking about [lie-ins] are talking a lot about these victims' families

themselves" - Abigail Spangler, founder ofProtestEasyGuns.com(Esposito,

2008).

"If just one of those [VA Tech] students had been armed in that building, there

would have been a much better chance that somebody would have stopped the

madman."- Phillip Van Cleave, Virginia Citizens Defense League.

It appears that extreme emotions drive opinions about gun control. Good point, and a

place to add in that concepts of justice cannot truly be divorced from emotiontheres no such

thing as pure justice, etc thats where it seems youre goingWhen someone you love is

killed in a calculated act of extreme gun violence, the way you deal with the loss and pain

probably defines your political stance. Your perception of just resolutions regarding gun

violence and the fairness laws to protect the innocent will be affected as well. At the

same time, gun control critics worry that their ability to defend themselves, their families,

and their homes against criminal aggression is already being overly restricted. The ebb

and flow of public opinion, the focus of the media, and political decisions by societal
http://protesteasyguns.com/http://protesteasyguns.com/


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leaders will determine what steps our system of justice takes. Another take on social

identity/ social constructionism

The justice or injustice of gun control is perceived emotionally by those who have

experience with gun violence and those who deplore government involvement in their

right to self protection. From Richard Rubensteins perspective, the perceived

legitimacy and acceptance of our legal depends on how reasonable and usefulit is to

people seeking justice. In this respect, the gun control debate is about how well our laws

can satisfy peoples needs for security and freedom simultaneously (2008). Lead this into

a further, completing pointwhat is it youd say about how we weigh justice based on

the needs of the many as opposed to the rights of the few? Or would you put that the

other way around? Take the debate and run with it in your own argument

While the usefulness of our legal system is debated into infinity, individuals and

groups on both sides of the issue would do well to think about working together on

personal and community protection without the use of guns. We can teach our children

and family members how to be street smart about potential attackers and to learn

escape tactics in dangerous situations. Neighborhood Watch groups can give us more

control over crime risks in our communities and help us sleep easier at night. The best

justice, for all of us, may be the prevention of violent crimes before they happen by

acting with individual responsibility toward each other.

B+ I like that youve gone a different direction here and addressed the

question in this way. You have some very good pointstie them back into the readings

and strengthen your argumentsmove this forward out of a discussion of the


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instrumental nature of the argument and into a way of integrating it, synthesizing it, your

thoughts on whats more important, what trumps what, how do we find a way through all

that and define what the path SHOULD be? Youre entirely correct that perceptions of

justice are massively swayed by behavior and personal experience does that mean that

the entire system is faulty because it assumes a perfect state of justice where there

really can be none? If this is the argument, then it brings the whole question of justice

into serious need of redefinitionwhich is great, but needs to be defended and new

directions and language suggested


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References

Blendon, R J, Young , J T, Hemenway, D (1996)The American Public and the GunControl Debate.Journal of the American Medical Association, 275(22):1719-1722.

Esposito, G (2008). Tech gun protest delayed 2 hours. The Roanoke Times, April 15,

2008. Retrieved fromhttp://www.roanoke.com/vtcampus/wb/158222 on

September 19, 2009.

Hauser, C (2007). Virginia Gunman Identified as Student. The New York Times, April 17,

2009. Retrieved fromhttp://topics.nytimes.com/topics/reference/timestopics/organizations/v/virginia_polytechnic_instit

ute_and_state_university/index.html on Sept 18, 2009.

Hofstede, G (1980). Cultures consequences, international differences in work-related

values. Sage Publications.Beverly Hills, Calif

King, M L (1963). A Letter from Birmingham Jail.Ebony, AUG, 1963, 23-32. Retrieved

from http://books.google.com/books?id=y8rupo6QVekC&pg=PA23&lpg=PA23&dq

=%22A+Letter+from+Jail%22+and+martin+luther+king&source=bl&ots=vW2Zp42kB-

&sig=8XNzC3y- dUw6MC3TDdN_gnS89Jk&hl=en&ei=N3e3SouLBI6b8Qaz3qWTD&sa =X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=6#v=onepage&q=%22A%20Letter

%20from%20Jail%22%20and%20martin%20luther%20king&f=true on September 19,

2009.

Krajicek, D J (2003). Guns and Gun Control. Covering Crime and Justice, Criminal

Justice Journalists (ed.). Retrieved fromhttp://www.justicejournalism.org/crimeguide/intro.html on September 18, 2009.

Kunkle, F, Craig T (2007). At Gun Raffle, A Reminder Of Va.Tech: Firearms Worn andProtested at Event Attended by Hundreds. The Washington Post, May 18, 2007.

Retrieved from http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/05/17/AR2007051701386.html?nav=emailpage on Sept 18,

2009.

Library of Congress (1993). `Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act' of 1993. Retrieved fromhttp://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/F?c103:1:./temp/~c103JK0kNO:e0 on Sept 19, 2009
http://www.roanoke.com/vtcampus/wb/158222%20on%20September%2019http://www.roanoke.com/vtcampus/wb/158222%20on%20September%2019http://www.roanoke.com/vtcampus/wb/158222%20on%20September%2019http://topics.nytimes.com/topics/reference/timestopics/organizations/v/virginia_polytechnic_institute_and_state_university/index.html%20on%20Sept%2018http://topics.nytimes.com/topics/reference/timestopics/organizations/v/virginia_polytechnic_institute_and_state_university/index.html%20on%20Sept%2018http://topics.nytimes.com/topics/reference/timestopics/organizations/v/virginia_polytechnic_institute_and_state_university/index.html%20on%20Sept%2018http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/05/17/AR2007051701386.html?nav=emailpagehttp://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/05/17/AR2007051701386.html?nav=emailpagehttp://www.roanoke.com/vtcampus/wb/158222%20on%20September%2019http://www.roanoke.com/vtcampus/wb/158222%20on%20September%2019http://topics.nytimes.com/topics/reference/timestopics/organizations/v/virginia_polytechnic_institute_and_state_university/index.html%20on%20Sept%2018http://topics.nytimes.com/topics/reference/timestopics/organizations/v/virginia_polytechnic_institute_and_state_university/index.html%20on%20Sept%2018http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/05/17/AR2007051701386.html?nav=emailpagehttp://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/05/17/AR2007051701386.html?nav=emailpage


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Rubenstein, R (2008). Institutions. Conflict, 2ndedition. Cheldelein, S, Druckman, D,

Fast, L (Ed.). Continuum, New York. 202.

Smith, L (2008). Gun Dealer Speaks at VA Tech: Man Who Sold Guns To Two CampusShooters Gives Talk. Campus Activities. April 27, 2008.Retrieved from

http://campusactivities.suite101.com/article.cfm/gun_dealer_speaks_at_va_tech onSept 19, 2009.

Wilber. (2009). Museum Shooting Planned, Officials Say. The Washington Post, Sept 3,2009.http://www. http:// washingtonpost.com/wp-

dyn/content/article/2009/09/02/AR2009090200987.html

Zapotosky, M (2009). Cavaliers Guard Arrested in Md. The Washington Post. Sept 19,2009, D1.

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Justice Guns SEP09